It’s wonderful, it’s like opening a new chapter of my life…” -LYDIA
Last week, we invited a guest to chat with us about an interesting topic: co-sleeping with a child. Lydia is a mother of a 1 year-old, and we couldn’t wait to ask her how she does co-sleeping so we quickly got down to business.
SleepZone: Hey Lydia, it’s so nice to have you here today!
Lydia: Thank you for having me!
SleepZone: Motherhood is a wonderful thing, and we are dying to know what co-sleeping is and how it plays out in real scenarios. Could you tell us a bit about that?
Lydia: Sure! Co-sleeping is basically sleeping in close proximity with your child, usually on the same bed or on different beds but in the same room. In the western culture, children are usually placed in the nursing room after they are born, and the idea of co-sleeping might not be known to many parents. Some families do it by bed-sharing, or sleeping with the child in the same bed. Others would have a “sidecar arrangement”, which means that you attach a crib to one side of your bed so you have easy access to your baby. Or, you can have the baby sleep in a separate bed but in the same room…
SleepZone: Has your life become easier or harder with co-sleeping?
Lydia: Definitely easier! You also bond with your child a lot more. I think the advantages are that parents and the baby can get more sleep because nursing is more convenient. Also moms, take note, breastfeeding at night actually helps maintain your mild supply! There will also be less nighttime separation anxiety for you and your child.
SleepZone: Sounds wonderful! I remember when I was a kid, sleeping besides my mom was something given to me as a reward. If I behave I get to sleep in my mother’s bed for one night.
Lydia: Haha, I would do that with my baby when he is older.
SleepZone: Are there risks associated with co-sleeping though?
Lydia: Yes. The most important thing you need to be aware of is safety when co-sleeping. There should not be loose pillows or stuffed animals lying around. Also, baby should be placed on the back when sleeping. Bedding should be really tight-fitting on the mattress. Make sure there is no crevice between bed and wall so the baby won’t slip into it.
SleepZone: Those are great advices. You wouldn’t want to accidentally suffocate the baby.
Lydia: Right. The only thing I’m having nightmare about is accidentally harming my child. | would also advice other parents to not be under influence of substances when you co-sleep with your child as it will damage their health.
SleepZone: Now that we’ve covered the physical effects of co-sleeping, what about psychological effects on the child?
Lydia: I did some research when I had my baby since I was worried that co-sleeping will make him more dependent when older. However, studies has shown that there is no correlation between co-sleeping and being less independent when older. I believe that it won’t have any bad effects.
SleepZone: That’s quite some relief to know that.
Lydia: Yes. Overall, co-sleeping is healthy and it brings me closer to my baby. I’ve enjoyed it a lot. Plus, it saves me energy to get up and go to another room at night. Although I do have a separate nursery room for my baby, too.
SleepZone: Definitely. We know how important it is for the child to be safe in every aspect of his/her life, especially when sleeping. When we are designing our children products, we take that into account to make sure that our products can accommodate the comfort and safety of children.
Lydia: I love that you care about your customers and really know their demographics. I’m really looking forward to your Kids’ Comforter Set!
SleepZone: Yes, our Kids’ Comforter Set is about to launch… Yay! We have Boys’ and Girls’ Comforter Set prepared for this launch. This time we used kids-friendly dye. The entire process of printing and dyeing is environmentally friendly as well. We also did research on what kind of design are popular for kids and settled on two wonderful designs for boys and girls. Just like the rest of our product, we used Invista® Cooling Fiber and CertiPur-US Memory Foam to ensure that the comforter is cooling, breathable and fluffy. Kids love fluffy things, and it’s safe enough for children.
Lydia: Great! I’ll be sure to get in line for the launch!
We had a really nice time with Lydia, and we congratulated her on being a new mom. We hope that Lydia’s insights can help more parents learn about co-sleeping if you have not already known about it!
